I am a 30 something year old mama to my matchy matchy kids. Little Bigger L is our four year old comedian and chief mess maker. The Little-er L is our two year old spicy ray of sunshine. Married to my best friend (schmaltzy I know) Seriously Daddy. I adore him even though most days he drives me crazy but I couldn't have this life without him. Like it or not, I am a former Geologist, pro choice, Planned Parenthood supporting, reality TV junkie, funky leather goods addicted, slightly earthy crunchy, semi angst ridden and some would even dare to say therapy needing stay at home mom living in a town that should be totally erased from the map, once we get the heck out of here.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Even though I try to avoid procrastinating on a lot of things, one thing I continue to be guilty of is letting the gas in my SUV get to fumes before I refill it. Russ is usually good about making sure the tank is full if he drives it but me, not so much.

Yesterday morning was totally chaotic. Russ and the bigger of the L's headed out to preschool before 8:00am and the little-er of the L's and I headed in the opposite direction to do a few errands and then meet up after preschool for lunch and haircuts. Of course I needed gas so she and I stopped to fill up. Pulled up to the pump, turned the car off and while Little-er of the L's was happily watching Toy Story on the DVD player I dropped the keys into the cup holder along with my phone and hopped out to fill the gas tank. It was all of -4 degrees Fahrenheit outside so I was trying to make this a quick little endeavour. Filled up for $1.52 a gallon (wootwoot) and turned around to hop back into the car and then had a suffocating panic tighten itself around my chest.

The doors were locked. I was locked out of my car and it was -4 outside. I was locked out of my car, it was -4 outside and my 21 month old daughter was still strapped into her car seat inside the car I was currently locked out of. Are you hearing me, people? I was locked out of the car and my baby was inside!!! After a second to stop the "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit" that was running through my brain, I checked on the Little L who was all bundled up, still happily watching Buzz LightYear and Woody bicker with each other about being the better toy (Woody totally wins in my book) and then ran into the gas station and the attendant looked at me "$38.50 please."

"I need to use your phone, please. My daughter is locked in my car along with my keys, wallet, phone and sanity." Please, it's an emergency..."

"Ma'am, you need to pay for the gas..."

"Listen you small town freak, MY BABY IS LOCKED IN THE CAR. I WILL BE USING YOUR PHONE TO CALL FOR HELP AND WHEN I KNOW THAT MY DAUGHTER IS OKAY I WILL PAY YOU YOUR *$^^^@(@! $38.50..."

"Umm, okay."

With this new car came a new key code which of course I never bothered to memorize. So I called Russ and started yelling at him because of course I had to project onto someone else since there was no way this was my fault, ya know. I am aware that this is one of my things and I need to deal better but Russ is totally used to it and fairly immune to the harassment. Thankfully he remembered the numbers but not the exact order so after a few tense seconds trying different combinations the locks finally popped up and the little-er of the L's hadn't known the difference.

I grabbed my wallet and my daughter and ran back into the station and tossed the money I owed onto the counter while this small town freak decided (through her missing teeth and bad breath) to tell me what a shitty mother I was for leaving my daughter in the car while I came inside to pay for the gas in the first place.

Ummhellooooo, I had to come inside without her BECAUSE SHE WAS LOCKED IN THE CAR.

Word of advice...

When you buy a car with an outside key pad, please memorize the code or you will become more competition for me while I try and win the Worst Mother Of The Year Award.

8 comments:

I just couldn't help but laugh because this is TOTALLY something I would do.

As for the redneck hick... there really are no words. Seriously? You're a bad mother because you didn't take your child out of the car to let her stand beside you in -4 weather while you pumped GAS!? That person is a complete moron.

Oh, and I ALWAYS leave the car until it's on fumes. I can't tell you how many times I've caught crap from Mike for that. LOL

My mom locked my nephew in the car when he was 1 or 2. He was pretty happy. And warm. Because not only did she lock him in, she did it with the car running. Luckily I was home and able to bring the spare set!!You are so not the worst mom of the year...

I fear this kind of thing happening to me and having no one available to rescue me. The kids in school, the husband out in the middle of nowhere. With my minivan mysteriously acting up lately, I think this is too close for comfort!

Dude, that doesn't make you a bad mother at all, I promise. I stopped for gas with my kid sleeping in the car today and I had a panic attack that the doors were locked (the keys were inside). Thankfully, they weren't...

Yeah, you're a terrible mother. What the hell were you thinking! You would have been better off having your child outside catching pneumonia! That happens to me all the time ,except, my kids aren't buckled up. I just keep screaming and beating on the windows until they accidentally hit the unlock button. I also leave my kids in the car when I go to the post office, grocery store, etc. Nobody is going to kidnap my kids; they would bring them back in 10 seconds and turn themselves into the police just to get away from the insanity. Sorry you had such a bad scare.